Her Eyes
by SarahcaCrane
Summary: Severus Snape reflects on Lilly Evans and her death.


Her eyes, that vivid green I remember so well. Her eyes, the way they would sparkle in class when the teacher called on her instead of one of the other students. The way you could see the hurt and disappointment in her eyes whenever you were being an idiot, I remember it all so clearly.

I remember standing in front of the house she shared with her husband and baby boy. Just by looking at the house I knew what I would find would not be good, I went in anyways.

In the front room I found James Potter lying dead. I never cared for the man but I never wanted him dead, yes he bullied me in school, but in the end he was what made Lily happy I could never hate anything that made Lily happy.

Lily used to talk about James all of the time while we were at Hogwarts. I would listen to the love of my life talk for hours on end about the man who she loved, the man who wasn't me.

After closing James Potter's eyes I moved on to the next room. I searched the entire bottom floor. Climbing the stairs to the second floor I was feeling both hope and dread. Perhaps He who must not be named had stayed true to his war and spared Lily.

Every room I entered I braced myself for finding the worst. Entering the last room in the house my hopes had grown only to be crushed at the last possible moment. The first thing I saw in the nursery was Lily Potter's dead body crumpled on the ground.

I walked to her and sunk to my knees. Holding her close to me I cried for the loss of the most beautiful talented witch I had ever known. Her eyes had gone from the vivid green I loved to a cold and blank green that would haunt me until the day I died.

Then I heard it, a baby's crying. I turned from Lily and saw him, Lily's son Harry Potter. It was impossible. How could a baby with no magical experience survive when his mother and father, who amazing duelers, were killed?

Lily.

Lily had done something to protect her son from you know who. I should have known, she wouldn't step aside and let him kill her child, so he killed her. She used old magic to protect Harry by giving her life for him.

After one last glance at the girl I had loved since meeting her I left with a broken heart and a crushed soul.

Lily and I promised each other, while at Hogwarts, that if something were to happen to one of us that the other would protect their children and others they had cared about. I planned to keep my promise even if I had to die to do it.

In the days after lily's death Dumbledore had given Harry to Lily's sister and her husband. I was livid, Harry should have been given to me I would have cared for him; the old fool didn't know how much Petunia had hated her sister Lily for her magic. I had made the promise to Lily that I would take care of her child; her sister never promised a thing. She would probably just throw him in a cupboard and try to hide his magic. I would never do such a thing, I would've given him a nice room and whatever his heart desired and embraced his magic, he was Lily's son, he was all I had left of her, he even had her eyes.

I went to the Dursley's to make sure Harry would at least have a good childhood until I could take care of him at Hogwarts. I knocked on the door, it was answered by Vernon Dursley, Petunia's husband, and how I hated the man. "Who are you? What do you want?" The blubbery man demanded.

"I wish to speak to you and your wife about Lily's son Harry." I replied coldly.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Though I'll ask again who are you?" By now he was yelling at me. "Vernon? Who is at the door?" The voice of Petunia asked. "I don't he won't tell me! He said he's here about your freak of a sister's kid!" Vernon answered.

Petunia then came to the door in a panic. "You're that boy who taught my sister magic and had her try to hurt me aren't you?' She accused. I smirked and answered, "I taught Lily some magic yes but never did either of us try to hurt anyone." She scowled, "Well you can just leave now, my sister is dead so you have no business here." She started to close the door but my foot stopped it.

"I am well aware of your sister's murder, Mrs. Dursley, I was the one who found her and her husband's bodies. I'm not here to talk about Lily; I'm here about her son, Harry." I replied smoothly.

"What about him?" Petunia asked still scowling. "I made a promise to Lily that if something were to happen to her I would take care of her child." Her face lit up, "Oh so you're taking him then? Why didn't you say that in the first place? I'll go get him."

"Unfortunately, I cannot do that, I have strict instructions to let him spend his childhood here with you." I said still livid at Dumbledore's instructions.

"Well then why are you here, if you're not here for the boy?" She snapped. I scowled, "I'm here to make sure you don't just give him away. I need to make sure he will be safe, nothing can happen to that boy as long as I breathe. If you ever once cared about your sister then you will keep her son safe and with you."

For once I saw a faint bit of emotion in Petunia's eyes, "I'll make sure the boy is safe."

"Thank you, I'll take my leave now." With that I turned on my heels and walked away from the house never to come back.

Ten years past and the day Lily died still haunted me; every time I close my cold black eyes I see her blank green ones. Every time I go to sleep I relive the night she died. The only time I get a slight break from the nightmares and memories is while attempting to teach these idiot students.

Harry Potter was now at Hogwarts. I protected him during his years at Hogwarts just like I promised Lily. Without me that boy would have been long dead by the end of his first year with all the trouble he got himself into.

In Harry's sixth year Dumbledore was dying and told me I had to continue his work.

"Severus, when the time comes Harry must die so Voldemort can be killed, it is the only way." I stood in shock, "You cannot be serious Albus. Are you telling me that after all I've done to keep this boy alive you were just stalling until the right moment?"

"I am sorry, Severus, but it must be done. It is the only way to defeat Voldemort, Harry is the eighth Horcrux, and he must die for this war to finally end. It is the only way for Lily's death to be avenged. Can you not see that?"

"No, Albus, I made a promise to Lily to keep Harry safe. Lily died to keep Harry alive, not for him to just die at the right moment." With that I cast my Patronus, a breathe taking silver doe shot out of the tip of my wand.

"After all this time?" Dumbledore asked, clearly dumbfounded.

"Always."


End file.
